Daily Republican., 1887-07-14
TaURsDAY. JULY IA. 1887.
the Constitutional convention.

the Constitutional convention.
1t is time something Was being done
towards bringing out the vote for the
tn tionAl Con ventlon 81 the special
to be held on the second Tues
day OF Novem Der. This will be one OF
the most i'm portAnt elections held In
our State for many years, and there
fore every citizen who has vote
sh ould take deep interes. In II, and
even those who are 30 unfortunate es TO
have NO vote should be interested In
urging their more fo-tuuats friends to
vote. II 10 true that there is no pArd'
san, political significance In the elec-
tion, which Ii another strong reason why
people who for years have taken no part
in elections ON account OF their extreme
political rancor should be active now.
The contest 10 not for the ascsndency OF
any political party, bat for Constltu-
tional G ven ton, that the old Gu N Der.
SONS, effste policy OF our SAFE govern
men, may be changed TO com port more
with the spirit OF the age In which we
live. There is not State In The oion
that has had so few changes In her Con
stitution As Deiawate
Her people are conservative, and
when they have q reasonably fair con-
stitution they are In no hurry to change
1t. The lss. time our constitution was
changed, over FAY years ago, the popu.
Nation Of the State was abou. equally
divided between the three counties.
This WAS evidently what the FIRST con-
stitution Of the State required and In
the Judgment OF our fathers provided
for. Equal rep,esen tation WAS intended
at that time, no matter wha. may be
the Interpretation now. Bu. look at
our population now and what do we
SEQ? New Castle County with popu-
lAtion OF 90. 600, Kent County with Q
population OF 5000, and Sussex Ooun-
ty with population OF SO 900, and ye,
the representation from each county is
equal. New Castle County hAs three
Senators and seven Representatives fol
her 05. 900 people, while Z IN. and Sas-
sex Counties con b!ned, With . populs
&iOn OF "a, 900 people, have six Senators
md fourteen representatives.. Upon
Of New Castle County have no vei,t
whatever In the Ia w-mAking councils o
the State. Taking the population o
Kent County and comparing 1t will
the population OF the city OF Whining
ton the inequality Q: representation i
the more giaring. BY general agree
ment OF political parties Wilmington
with her population OF 60 600, Is pei
mitted to have one Senator and on
Representative. TO give her more on
OF the present slio vance would bat 70
the rural districts OF the represen tAtio
Co which they are entitled. Then whi
Kent County, with q population {
$4,000, has three Senators, Wilmin 9 .oI
with q population OF G0.000, has out
THAI is, nearly 49, 900 citizens OF Wi
mington are deprived OF represents TO
in the Senate. For RspreseD tstives th
inequality is stlll more glsring. Ken
County, with 80 900, has seven Repre-
sentatlves, while Wilmington, wit
60. 900. has one. There are 5000 cit
zens OF Wilmington who have no voic
In our II ouse OF Rspresen ta;ives. Thes
| Inequalities are to be corrected by
c)nstitu. .ional convention, even II reI
resentation according TO populatio
should not be granted. Amongst th
other reforms needed in our Safe IL
give the election OF al! couuy Off oeI
to the people, dividing the State int
representative districts, the abolition
the lie tenure OF the Judiciary, tf
election OF the same by the people IN
many other needed reforms. These wi
oe the pur poses OF constitutional COL
veution. What DO the people say abol
1t? Do we rot need these reform
There can hardly be . dissenting vol
In this regard. This then being tru
should the people not arouse to the Ii
portAn,e Of the coming election. II
very necessary that general vote
the people should bs cast, as the ele
ton Is . peculiar one and not like 81
other elections. 1t will be no cont.
In xh!:h the side that polls the mc
votes will win.
1t will be q contest to poll 16,(
votes in favor OF . Constitutional c.
yentiou. No matter how many vo
may be CAST sgainst q con vention,
less than 16 600 will carry for oonv'
tion. 1t will be one Of those electit
in which Republicans and Dsmocr
can both unite heartily, both in t
county ct least being in favor Of G
stituMoual Convention. There will
no pArtisansh!p whatever in the gu
tion. That will be entirely left
after cousidssations. The only Qv
tion no v Is, shall we have . Consti
tional Convention? To this ques
the unauimous response should be,
will. Lst every voter then prep pare
the contest.